A Night to Remember
by sarasaurusxo
Summary: Harry needs a date to a ball, and when he runs into Draco Malfoy at work, an opportunity presents itself. One shot.


Just a scenario I thought of, and wanted to make something out of. Enjoy!

"Would you fuck off Malfoy."  
"I'm just doing my job Potter. The sooner you settle down and let me help you the sooner you can leave. OK?"

"Fine." Harry sulked. He knew it wasn't Malfoy's fault, but he had been careless at work, and had ended up in a fist fight with some degenerate after they'd kicked his wand away from him. On the plus side, the phrase 'you should see the other guy' was particularly apt in this situation.

"Sorry." he mumbled, causing Malfoy to pause and frown at him, before continuing to dab potion on his wounds.

"Well there's a word I've never heard from you before."

"You've never deserved it before." He grumbled. He knew he sounded childish even as the words came out of his mouth. Malfoy laughed.

"Alright," a few more dabs and then, "All done Mr Potter." He stood up and handed Harry back his glasses. "Anything else you need?"

Harry looked up at him. He looked different from when they were at school. The years had been kind to him, that much was for sure. He seemed more at peace though too. Being a healer must have been good for him.

"No I'm good thanks." He hesitated, Hermione was always on at him to make new friends, feeling that he didn't get out much beyond his school friends and their families. He wasn't sure if Malfoy counted as a 'new' friend, but it must count for something. As Malfoy turned to leave the small curtained 'room' he blurted out,

"Actually, Malfoy. There is something." Malfoy turned, brow arched and waiting,  
"Yes?"

"The Auror department is having a ball, sort of a fundraiser. We're supposed to bring a guest from outside the department. I was thinking of asking Ginny, but Ron's scooped her."

"Is this you asking me?"  
"Yes sorry! Would you like to come with me?"  
"As your last resort." He looked amused. Harry cursed his awkwardness.  
"Sorry if that's how that sounded. But honestly it probably wouldn't have occurred to me to just send you an owl out of the blue."

"Fair enough. When is this ball?"

"Wednesday night." He could feel himself turning red.

"Its Monday"

"I know." he was about to rescind the invitation when Malfoy spoke,

"Wow. I really am your last resort. Fine Potter I'll come, if only to save you the embarrassment of having no one to go with. Owl me the details." with that he left the room, and Harry saw himself out.

"You invited Malfoy?" Ron's face was incredulous. Hermione sat silent on the other side of the dinner table.

"Yes."

"On purpose?"

"Yes."

Bloody hell mate."

"What's wrong with that? I know he was a shit head when we were in school but he's done a lot of good since then. He's done more championing Muggle relations than even we have since the war ended. And he's done tons of stuff for children. What?"

"That's not why I'm surprised. I know he's changed and all that, and more power to him. It can't have been easy. Turning his image around like that."

"Then what?"

"Harry don't you think people will talk?"

"Why should they?"

"Maybe because you're the two most high profile gay wizards in London? And you're both single? And now you're bringing him as your date to a ball?" Hermione spoke up, explaining as though to a five year old.

"Oh. I didn't think of that. Do you think people will care?"

"They won't care. But they will gossip. If anything _your_ image will be better off. You're getting a reputation as a hot head Harry." Ron grinned at this.

"Do you think he knows?"

"Draco's not an idiot. I'm sure he knows exactly the message this will be sending. He should have gone into politics, Merlin knows I'd love to have him on my staff." They finished their supper and sent Harry home with enough leftovers to last him a week.

When he was home and alone he thought about what they had said. He knew Malfoy was gay, his personal life been all over the papers when it had come out, just like his own. But he had never really given it much thought. He'd never had enough time for a real relationship, only ever being able to commit to a fling at best. He knew Malfoy had been in a relationship with some writer at the Prophet, and when it went south he had tried to vilify him in the press. It said something about how far Malfoy's image had come that people didn't believe it, and instead put it down to a scorned lover writing lies. Now that he'd be his plus one to the ball, Harry started to wonder if he should treat it like a date. Would Malfoy be treating it like a date? Probably not. You don't usually go on dates with people you won't call by their first name. Before he went to bed he copied down the details of the event tried to remember to send them off with an owl in the morning.

The next day came and of course Harry forgot to send the message with the information. However what he didn't expect was that Malfoy would make a visit to his office. He was sitting at his desk in the office he shared with Ron eating lunch when there was a small tap at the open door.

"Hi." It was Malfoy, still wearing his healer's robe, clearly on a break from work. "Can I come in?"  
"Sure!" Harry spluttered, cleaning off a chair that was covered with papers while Ron quietly excused himself.

"There's no need to make a fuss, I just came to ask if you were still wanting me to come to this ball with you? Only I didn't get your Owl with the time."

"Shit Malfoy I'm so sorry. Here," he scribbled down everything he needed to know, "I totally forgot to Owl you the invite this morning. I'm sorry I've interrupted your lunch." Malfoy smiled as he took the paper.

"No trouble, I'm actually on my way home I had the overnight shift. In any case St Mungo's is only around the corner, I hardly went out of my way."

"Wow you just got off work? I thought our hours were crazy."

"Yes. It does interfere with the social life somewhat. We've been understaffed so I've been pulling doubles. The new people start tomorrow so the senior healers are getting a little time off."

"Just in time for the ball. Lucky timing." He smiled, tiredly Harry now realized, "I'll let you go then. You must be exhausted." Malfoy nodded

"Very. Would you like to meet before, or meet at the event? Also what should I wear?"

"Dress robes. The fancier the better according to Hermione. I could pick you up if you like, and we can Floo over there together?"  
"Sounds great." He handed Harry a card with his information, and said a quick goodbye. A few minutes after he left, Ron came back.

"Getting all set up for your date?" he teased.

"I don't think that's what he has in mind."

"Is it what you have in mind?" Ron asked through a bite of a sandwich.

"I hadn't honestly thought about it till you mentioned it last night. But even him coming here feels, I don't know. Nice? Like I wouldn't mind seeing him again."

"It's not like he's hard on the eyes." Harry looked at Ron in surprise.

"What? You don't need to be gay to admit the guy's attractive." Ron said through a mouthful of sandwich. Harry had to agree, though they left the subject there and returned to work, he couldn't get the former Slytherin off his mind for the rest of the day.

The next day passed in a blur of paperwork and preparations for the ball that night. He hadn't heard from Malfoy, but assumed their plans were still a go, and that he had just been sleeping off his overtime. At exactly eight o'clock he Floo'd to the address Malfoy had given him. He arrived in a large studio flat. It was the kind of place Harry longed for. All exposed brick and industrial pipes. It was a beautiful apartment, and from the view out of the window seemed to be in Central London.

"Just a minute!" He heard Malfoy call from somewhere beyond a large partition, followed by a number of swear words.

"Do you need help with something?" Harry stepped farther into the room, careful to wipe his feet on the colourful rug under the fireplace.

"It's my fucking tie." Malfoy rounded the corner, tie undone looking rattled. As Ron had said earlier, he was easy on the eyes. He had filled out since high school, less gaunt and more toned. And there was something about a man in an undone tie that just did something to Harry.

"Here let me help you. Once you start fiddling with it, you'll never get it right."

"I'm not sure I trust you, you never did have a good looking tie at school." Nevertheless he stepped forward and allowed Harry to take over.

"You always did. What's the difference with tonight?" He raised an eyebrow at this.

"I never thought you paid much attention to the state of my tie Potter." The way he said Potter this time had a much different feel to when he would say it at Hogwarts. Or did it...

"Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't. You'll never know." He finished up and stepped back, "But apparently you were looking at mine too." Now it was Malfoy's turn to blush.

"Anyway, you didn't answer me. Why couldn't you get it?" Malfoy's face had turned from mild embarrassment back to a more familiar annoyed furrow.

"My ex, the writer from the Prophet, he's covering tonight."

"Oh. Do you still want to go?" Harry was surprised at how disappointed he felt at the thought.

"Yes of course! It just might be a little awkward is all. If that's ok with you?" Harry grinned,

"I love a little drama. It'll be fine, we'll just avoid him." Malfoy nodded, and they made their way back to the fireplace.

The ballroom was beautifully decorated and Hermione was in her glory, bossing people around and keeping everything running smoothly. The fact that she was running the event was why Ron had brought his sister as his date instead of his wife. However proud he may have been of her, he had no head for the political game she played, and preferred to stay out of it and just keep to law enforcement. When Draco and Harry arrived they immediately were surrounded by press asking when they had started speaking again and what their coming together meant. Harry noticed a foul looking expression in the crowd and assumed that it belonged to Malfoy's ex boyfriend. Sensing him seizing up beside him he impulsively took his hand and pulled him through the crowd, saying a quick "Sorry must be getting on." to the many reporters. Once past the entrance they let go of each other's hands.

"Sorry if that was too much, it just seemed like the easier way."

"It was fine. I'm not such a prude that I'm above a little hand holding Potter." There it was again, the way he said his name made something flip inside of Harry.

"Got it," he decided a little gentle feeling out of the situation wouldn't be a terrible thing, "What might be too much for you then? Just so I know." He asked playfully. Again with that eyebrow, Harry was starting to like it.

"Oh I think you'd be hard pressed to find something that's too much for me. Punch?" He smiled innocently, passing Harry a small cup of some smoking red liquid that Harry quickly downed. Tonight was going much better than planned. They mingled for a little while. Meeting up with Hermione for a little while, her and Malfoy chatting like old friends. Harry supposed she did know him a lot better than he did. They were on a lot of the same committees and charities and saw each other quite a bit. It astonished him to think about where they had been in school, and where they were now. He barely could believe it. On a more pressing note, he was starting to realize just how attracted to Malfoy he was. Careful not to put too much distance between them, he had been subtly touching Harry the whole night. Wether it was when he got more punch and brushed his arm, or when they sat down to eat and his leg rested against Harry's just a little too much. Finally Harry saw Ron through the crowd and excused himself, not surprised when as he walked away his hand somehow touched Malfoy's.

"Ron, can I borrow you for a moment?" Ron looked up at Harry, and seeing the look on his face immediately got out of his chair.

"You want to get some air?"

"Sure." Once they had found a small side door and stepped out, quickly casting the Muffilato charm around him, Harry spoke.

"It's Malfoy. I'm going mental."

"Merlins beard mate it's only been one night. I thought he was alright now?"

"No it's not that. He's great! Too great. Like, I don't want the night to end great." He gave Ron a meaningful look but it took a minute to sink in.

"Oh...OH! Well I'll say it again. It's only been one night, you don't want to move to quickly."

"It's not exactly quick Ron I've known him since I was 11."

"Yes, but the Malfoy you knew then and the Malfoy you know now are totally different. One's a racist prick and the others a well respected Healer. All I'm saying Harry is make sure it's right before you jump into bed with the bloke."

"I'm not sure how well I'm going to follow that advice." Ron laughed,

"That bad is it?"

"I haven't felt like this in a long time. I feel like I'm 18 again, not 28."

"Mate, if it's that bad, or that good, then just go for it." He clapped him on the back and led the way back inside.

"There you are! I was looking all over for you." Malfoy intercepted them almost as soon as they got through the door. As the meal had finished, now the press had been let in and were milling around getting snippets of gossip from the various guests. He gave Harry a meaningful look and gestured slightly with his head to over his shoulder, where Harry could see his ex boyfriend gathering information.

"You don't mind if I steal him back do you Ron?" Ron smirked and waggled his eyes at Harry when Draco looked away,

"Not at all Draco. He's all yours." Draco smirked,

"Well I like the sound of that." Harry turned red again as they made their way back through the crowd to a table in the corner of the room.

"So why does Ron get to be on a first name basis, but I'm still 'Potter'?" Harry leaned in towards Draco so he could be heard,

"Because calling you by your first name just isn't as hot. Is it _Potter_?" He replied, almost touching Harry's cheek their faces were so close. Unknowingly Harry licked his lips.

"No it isn't, you're quite right. Malfoy." As he said the taller man's name his hand also appeared on Harry's thigh. Slowly massaging his way upwards. Covered as they were by the darkness of the room and the seclusion of the corner they were in. Harry still knew they were at a professional event. With photographers present. He wondered how far he should let this go before they inevitably became the subject of gossip. Not that they probably already weren't.

"Now the way I see it," Draco murmured, his hand continuing on its journey, "We can stay here, and continue this lovely little dance we're doing." His hand stopped and Harry had to physically stop himself from groaning, "Or, we can go back to my place and finish what we've started." Harry turned his head to look at Draco. His eyes were dark, and Harry was sure it's wasn't just the poor lighting.

"I'm going to go with option two. If you don't have any other objections." Draco grinned, his perfectly white teeth shining in the low light.

"What are we waiting for then?" Harry stood up, and took Draco's hand. Pulling him again through the crowd to the Floo Exits at the front of the hall. Without saying goodbye to anyone, they were transported back to Draco's apartment on the other side of the city, the beginning of what Harry hoped would be something amazing.


End file.
